Martin Couvra may have grown up modelling his swing on Rory McIlroy, but the rising star of European golf is no imitation act.
Despite a brilliant rookie season so far on the DP World Tour, the Frenchman makes his Major Championship debut this week at The Open Championship amid relative anonymity.
But, while hometown favourite McIlroy is the inevitable centre of much focus at Royal Portrush, there can be no denying Couvra is an emerging talent to shout about.
He may be just 20 starts into his DP World Tour career, but Couvra is already among the best for approach play – easy to understand how with his effortless swing which has drawn comparisons to five-time Major winner McIlroy.
Notice any similarities? 🧐
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 29, 2025
Martin Couvra modelled his swing on Rory McIlroy's. We got commentators Tim Barter and David Howell to take a closer look. #ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/7hXCesM0x0
For players and fans alike, The Open evokes many memories and while Jean van de Velde’s collapse in 1999 at Carnoustie will forever be etched in the memory of French golf, Couvra cites McIlroy’s Claret Jug success at Royal Liverpool in 2014 as his favourite.
Back then, Couvra was only 11 and taking inspiration from the Northern Irishman, who earlier this season became just the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam.
“I don’t try to imitate Rory, I just try to have my swing,” said Couvra.
“I did watch a lot of videos of him when I was younger, so I think that’s how it has come about. He’s Rory, I can’t imitate him!”
A week on from his Rolex Series debut at the Genesis Scottish Open, where he shared the fairways with top ten stars Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg, he now prepares to tee it up in his biggest event to date over the Dunluce Links.
While he arrives in Northern Ireland in good form – with two top tens in his last five starts since his breakthrough DP World Tour win at the Turkish Airlines Open in May – the 22-year-old is not placing overdue pressure on himself ahead of realising his latest career milestone.
“It was always a dream to play a Major,” he told the DP World Tour. “For it to be at The Open at Royal Portrush is amazing.
“It is my first, so to be honest I don’t know what to I need to do to perform on this course and this tournament, around all these players.
“I will just try to do my best and we will see how it goes at the end of the tournament. But I don’t really have any expectations."
After an amateur career that saw him become the first player to win both the South African Stroke Play Championship and South African Amateur Championship, Couvra is making his first big steps into the rarified air of the sport’s elite.
Couvra just missed out on his second DP World Tour victory of the season at the Italian Open last month, finishing runner-up to countryman Adrien Saddier, but his performance was good enough to earn him his first Major start.
Such are the stages on which he is now performing, he is proud to be sharing it with family and friends who have helped him get to this point in his career.
“It is really important for me to have my family with me for this moment,” he said.
“My father and mother, along with huge friends of the family.
“It’s very important for us to have family with us. We don’t see them a lot during the year so for them to be here at this tournament is amazing.”
At fourth in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings, it appears an inevitability that Couvra will continue his progression by becoming a dual member on the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR next season.
However this week plays out over the Dunluce Links, those within the game know he has a very bright future.